Discriminate and it will hurt

Businesses that discriminate against women should, and will, suffer financially.  Many people in the Olympia community feel strongly about women’s rights, and are continuing to refuse to patronize a store that will not respect these rights.  If Ralph’s is truly a community-minded business, why are the owners failing to respond to the message sent by its former shoppers?

Where a retail business is concerned, consumers hold power.  We can’t rely on the Pharmacy Board or the legislature to sort this out.  In the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, when Nashville businesses were boycotted because of their discrimination against African Americans, it was the grass-roots movement that effected change, not an institutional body.  Many businesses suffered – until the policy of segregation was changed. 

The time to end the boycott of Ralph’s is when Ralph’s changes its discriminatory policy.  Ralph’s policy is based on a fallacy: that emergency contraception is an abortifacient.  Even a cursory examination of the facts shows that this is not true.  Emergency contraception (Plan B) works just as ordinary hormonal birth control does, by suppressing ovulation.  

When the owners of Ralph’s learn to distinguish between RU486 (the “abortion pill”) and emergency contraception, and stock all forms of birth control, the boycott will end and shoppers who care about women’s rights will return.  While Ralph’s chooses to ignore both the facts about emergency birth control, and the feelings of the community, the boycott will continue, and Ralph's will continue to lose money. 

In the Course of Events

Contraception is not immoral (even as a Catholic I believe this.) Utilizing an emergency treatment after an accident or assault is not immoral. Even if the woman was drunk and irresponsible to begin with would the counter-protesters rather there be an abortion or a possibly mistreated unwanted child?

Speaking of which, if Plan B truly was an abortion pill I'd be on Storman's side. But it's not, and he needs to figure that out once and for all.

Lastly, in response to the orignal letter, the point may have been made, but Ralph's Thriftway is standing firm. That's their right. But that means they're willing to take the financial hardship. So be it.

But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee Came not all hell broke loose?
John Milton

We all know my views on plan B. BUT I have noted another problem in the community. Prompt service for the sick and elderly. Respectful service for the low income. Ralph's HAS always catered to those and I know they do a good job. I suggest the owner just put a sign in his window advertising NO PLAN B and leave it at that. He could annotate his advertising. But it would just send an honest message that the PLAN B contraceptives are not available in his business.

But we have another community issue related to pharmacies. Poor service for the low income, seniors, and sick people waiting in line! Arguing with pharmacists and dosages and how and when to pick things up is NOT MY CUP OF TEA. If it happens again I may just write a formal complaint.

All pharmacies need a couple of simple accomodations for their customers:

• CHAIRS in a comfortable waiting area with magazines beside them
• A padded bench or feel faint couch
• A RESTROOM, clean, well lit, well tended.
• Triage on refills so that the most ill and those waiting are tended to first, particularly for paper prescriptions. We should also consider networking pharmacies and have things delivered to the place where the person is, instead of sending sick people running around!
• Scales with blood pressure and pulse-ometers on it.
• For hospital discharges, extended hours and a hospital pharmacy are probably the best way to go. Just send people home with their prescriptions!

Now I've used a lot of pharmacies in our community and down in Centralia. I've used them with other people and I've used them for myself. So I have a recommendation. If you don't want to go to Ralph's I suggest Rite Aide. They are absolutely great. They are prompt, caring, and considerate. They handle lots of medicare part D plans. They meet all the criteria I listed above and they are staffed with caring people who are willing to call cabs and make sure they get there!  

Just my humble opinion. But Ralph's and Rite Aide ARE my two most positive experiences with pharmacies in Olympia. I am sure you guys have more. A lot of places compete based on price. Price is not the only issue. Service is the issue. Accomodations. Willingness to be helpful and go that extra mile for a person who is miserable.

There's a simple test here and its just like the one you all used for plan B. Get a paper prescription and send a person who looks elderly and low income around to different places. I can clue you privately on a couple of mistakes to make with that prescription. Hehehehe. I can also clue you on what to make the person look like. But we need to test the service as well as what people sell!

I'd love to help but the problem is I AM feeling better. I might also be a little too notorious for this mission. No I think some other people need to do this. Let good old Crusty really write and rest and feel better. But good old Crusty has a way of remembering errors that get prescriptions kicked back and situations where patients were turned away. Shall we call those TEST CASES. And good old Crusty knows lots and lots of doctors who would love to participate in this plan. She can tell you who they are.

Gotta run.

Here we go again, reverse Mafia is alive and well in Olympia!  Did you know I can find Plan B at several stores in Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater?  Easy to find, too!  But, I can't find Reunite Lambrusco at Safeway.  I do find it at Ralph's and Bayview.  I asked Safeway to carry it but to no avail.  Hmm, maybe I should call for a boycott?  I mean, who are they to decide what I can buy in their store.

I went to the Ford dealership the other day to buy a Chevy and they said I should go to a Chevy lot.  I couldn't believe they didn't have what I wanted!  Oh my...

You guys are kidding yourself into thinking this is important.  It's not.  At the end of the day, the world still turns, people still shop, and the sun rises again.  What do you hope to accomplish?  If the current stance holds policy review and they don't stock Plan B, you will never shop with Stormans owned businesses again.  You aren't hurting the Stormans family, you know that right?  You are hurting the teenage bagger who has to be let go, or the journeyman level clerk who is unaffordable @ 20+ dollars an hour.  And, while you blame Storman's decision for these scenarios, you have the power to restore the loss and walk away with your head held high knowing you were a better person for having done so.

But, I know that these comments fall on deaf ears - time and time again.  Well, I for one continue to shop there and on occasion even make a special trip just for the donuts!  Less for you, more for me.  Enjoy Safeway and Top Foods.

Storman's took a stance on Plan B because there is the possiblity of termination of the pregnancy after conception (read chemical abortion). Kevin believes that abortion is wrong and took a stand. Good for him. And I hope he can weather the boycott.

I'm a big believer in boycotting. I have done so many times. In fact there is a business in this town that I send him a letter once a year letting him know how much of my business he lost. So I agree with those here that are boycotting for what they believe in.

What I do see here is the activist mind set by groups in this community that want to protest for the sake of protesting. I saw it happen right after the sidewalk ordinance passed. If you can rally that group(s) behind your cause, you can bring lots of numbers to the table. I believe that is why this campaign against Storman's has been so successful. I doubt there are that many rabid feminists out there.

I cautioned at the outset of this boycott that people needed to be careful what they wished for. If Kevin is resolute in his beliefs, and the business collapses because of the boycott, many elderly, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, sickly, etc. may loose their access to the pharmacies that Stoman's has available to them. This may complicate their lives significantly. That is why this boycott is so very hurtful, or at least potentially hurtful.

As for me, I will pray for Kevin and his family, the employees of Stormans, and that the business will survive this attack.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy.